The Heart Of A Human
by Zarafla Kirtan-Pherrin
Summary: The sequel to "Earning Wings"! It's Zak's twenty-first birthday and his one wish is to see his family for the last time. But when he gets his wish, he will have to make a difficult choice...
1. Faerie Fight

The Heart Of A Human-

Paired Characters: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: So, without further ado, I present the sequel to "Earning Wings"! I know it's been horrible waiting for it, but now you're in for a treat! :) The same disclaimers still apply. My OCs are Craig, Liam, and Paige Young, as well as various random side characters that don't have names. If you don't like boy on boy romance, yaoi, or sexual dialogue, then save yourself the trouble and don't read it._

Pips ducked as a plum flew at his head. The fruit splattered against the back wall, covering the hollow of the tree in sticky, maroon juice. His backside had caught some of the explosion, matting his red hair in the process.

"Fuck you!" Zak yelled from the entrance.

"What's your problem, _Zap_?" Pips shouted, using the sarcastic nickname that hadn't been used in over eight seasons. He knew that the nickname pissed Zak off, and that was his intention. When he was pelted with the fruit, he had lost any sympathy he might have had towards the blond faerie.

"You are my problem!"

"What did I ever do to you?"

Zak hovered there for a moment, hurt crossing his face for a brief flash, before he covered it with anger. "Nothing," he said flatly, crossing his arms and looking away. "you wouldn't understand..."

Pips wrung a corner of his loincloth out from some of the juice, muttering softly to himself. "Stupid, pathetic human..."

Stupid...

Pathetic...

_Human._

Zak turned to face him, having unintentionally caught the remark. "Maybe I want to be human again." His voice was the color of cold apathy. It sounded calm, like a promise.

The words pierced Pips' heart. He looked up, sadness squeezing his lungs tight and wrenching tears he thought he'd never shed from his eyes. Pips realized his mistake.

_'What have I done...?'_

Pips flew towards him with his hand reaching out. Zak shook his head, denying that loving touch, and zoomed away.

The absence of his lover tore him apart.

He returned to their tree and sat down, his legs folded up against him. He wrapped his arms around them, futilely using them as a shield from the pain he could not escape. He didn't cry out, or scream. He just shook.

For the past couple of days, Zak had grown silent and moody. The change in him had concerned Pips, but he didn't think much of it.

Yesterday, he thought that he could entice Zak into telling him what was wrong. Pips had crawled over to Zak, who was sleeping on their mattress of leaves inside their tree, and woke him up by tenderly biting his neck. Seduction was his preferred method in always finding out what was wrong with him.

Only this time, Zak had jumped from the mattress with a yelp and yelled at him. "Pips! What the Hell are you doing?"

Pips had been so shocked by his reaction that he just sat there, at a loss for words.

"Don't fucking touch me!" And he had rolled over, going back to sleep.

And when this morning came along, he had tried to simply ask what was wrong. At first, Zak didn't respond. That's when Pips, the "mischief-maker of Ferngully", had decided to drop an over-ripened cherry on his head, so that maybe Zak would come out of his slump and join in on the fun.

Instead, Pips had been attacked right back, but not in a playful way.

He sat there now, confused and scared. He had pushed him too far. If it had been anyone else, he would have been pissed off. But this was Zak... His love... The faerie made by magic, with the heart and soul of a human...

Eight seasons ago, Pips had hated him. The red head had believed that Zak made a mistake in allowing himself to become a faerie. What if he didn't like being a faerie and left, putting Pips' hopes up only to crush them underfoot? What if Crysta messed up in casting her magic, like she did when she had shrunk him when they first met, only to disastrous and irreversible consequences? Zak took the risk and Pips hated him for it. He would have rather had Zak as the tiny human as he was, staying in Ferngully.

But when they consolidated their differences and Pips realized that Zak made a good faerie, he accepted him and subsequently fell in love with him. To his ultimate joy, so did Zak. They became inseparable and loving in the following eight seasons of being together. Zak eventually moved in with Pips. Crysta was happy to find that her best friends had found one another and even threw a celebration for them. The faeries of Ferngully were thrilled and the celebration that night was a raucous one.

It all seemed so long ago now. The two days of distance and pain between them made all of the happy memories seem like a long faded dream.

Pips got up from the floor and took off to find Crysta, hoping that she could give him some advice in how to approach Zak and apologize.

_A/N: I know it's a little short, bear with me. ^^; But hopefully you all liked it! Tell me what you think! :) Find out what happens next in the next chapter!_


	2. Crysta's Advice

The Heart of A Human-

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: [Insert legal technicalities here, as well as the usual warnings.]_

"I don't know what to do anymore, Crysta..." Pips sighed in defeat, face in his hands, having divulged in the happenings of the past two days to his best friend. "I'm losing him."

Crysta sat there in contemplation as she gently coaxed a flower to open its petals. The dark haired faerie was saddened to hear that Zak was shutting Pips out, but she knew that something was really bothering the blond. Nothing trivial usually upset him. And knowing that the two were as happily in love as they were, only something personal could affect him this much.

"You're not losing him." Crysta said, thinking it over and remembering a distant memory about her blond friend.

"He said he's thinking about turning into a human again! How is _that_ not losing him?" Pips said angrily.

She looked over at him. "It's Spring," She explained. "A long time ago, he had told me that his day of birth was in the Spring. Although he wouldn't know what day that would be any more, he probably feels that the day of his birth is coming close or has recently passed."

"His day of birth?" Pips asked, confused. "That's what he's upset about? Why is that so important?"

"Just from what you're telling me on how he's acting, he probably misses his family. The fact that the day of his birth is close or has passed probably reminds him of his family back home. He told me that humans celebrate the day of when they're born."

"That's strange. I've never heard of that being done before."

"Humans live shorter lives than we do. So they celebrate their day of birth every four seasons that passes, to mark how old they are, with their families."

"Well, if I remember correctly, I have been around for 104 seasons. That must make me 104."

Crysta laughed. "That must mean you've been around for 26 years, Pips. Humans count their ages by years, or every four seasons. Zak told me this back when he was a human."

Pips brushed his fingers through his red hair in thought. "So I'm 26 years old. Is that old among humans?"

"According to Zak, hardly. Humans can live to be 80, the highest being 112."

"That common?"

"No. It's just a possibility."

"Well, how old is Zak?"

"I think he told me he was 18 years old when he was a human."

"What is he now?"

"Well, it's been 12 seasons since he's been with us. I think that makes him 21 years old by now."

That fact caught Pips by surprise. "I'm older than him?"

"It would seem so."

Pips thought about the discussion thus far. "You say that his day of birth probably reminded him of his family..."

"Yes."

"I didn't know he even had a family. He never told me." Pips admitted, stunned.

"Did you ever ask?"

The question stung the red head. Of course he hadn't. The silence answered for him, though, as Crysta nodded in understanding.

"So what am I going to do? If he's wanting to see his family, he might not ever want to come back." The other faerie said, almost desolately.

"Well, I think I have an idea." Crysta smiled. "I could always turn you two into humans so he can visit his family and you can be with him."

To say that Pips was surprised was an understatement.

"M-Make me human?"

Her smile got bigger.

"Do you know how dangerous that would be, Crysta? I don't know how to be human! I hardly know anything about them, besides Zak!"

"Well, he could probably teach you on how to act human." His friend reasoned.

"Okay... But how could I explain where I come from if someone asked?"

"I'm sure he could help you with that."

"Are you sure you can even change me into a human?"

Crysta gave him an annoyed look. "I turned Zak into a faerie, didn't I?"

"I know," Pips amended. "But while he was born a human, with no magic in him, it probably didn't affect him in a bad way. What if, because I have magic in me, your magic reacts in a bad way?"

"Pips, I'm positive that I can successfully change you into a human and back into a faerie when you're both done visiting his family."

"Okay..." Pips smiled, feeling better about the situation.

"But maybe we should make it into a surprise..."

Pips' smile became devious, liking where this was heading.

_A/N: Tell me what you think! How do you think Zak is going to take this idea of turning into human again? And his reaction to Pips' becoming human as well?_


	3. The Secret Grotto And Surprises

The Heart of A Human-

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: [Insert legal technicalities here, as well as the usual warnings.] By the way, the grotto that you know about in the movie, where Zak and Crysta had shared that kiss, is this same one in this chapter, except that Pips knows about it-not Crysta-and he was the one that introduced Zak to the grotto._

A few minutes later, Pips was zooming around the forest, keeping an eye out for his wayward lover. Eventually, opening up his senses, he was able to make out Zak's thoughts. They seemed to be projecting from their secret grotto. He smiled. What a convenient place to make up...

He dived under the surface of the river nearby, following the stream of consciousness that was Zak's mind, and eventually came to the opening to the grotto. It really was a beautiful place... The walls shimmered with gemstones and glowed a blue/black hue. The cave echoed with the slow rushing of water and soft _plip plops_ of water dripping from the ceiling. It was an eternal nightscape that Pips absolutely loved. He had taken Zak here a couple of times during the first year that they had been together, showing him this secret place that he had known about since he was small. Both of them had shared passionate moments here in the grotto and the memories brought a smile to his face.

He slipped from the surface of the water and closed the distance between himself and his lover. He knew the blond was sitting up on the rocky alcove near the ceiling, a naturally formed shelf that blended in with the walls. As he made his way over, he saw the faerie with his back facing him, his legs tucked in and his arms wrapped around them. He looked so fragile, sitting there, with his wings hanging limply from his back.

"Zak..."

The blond didn't acknowledge his presence, but merely hunched his shoulders further inward, as if trying to block him out. At least he didn't disappear. He landed softly upon the shelf and sat down behind him, slowly and cautiously wrapping his arms around him. The red head sighed in relief when the blond allowed him to hold him.

"Zak, I'm sorry." Pips whispered softly, rubbing a thumb over Zak's shoulder.

"It's okay..." Zak finally managed to say back.

"No, it's not. I was a jerk to you."

"I'm not innocent either, Pips." Zak turned to face him. Although he hadn't been crying, Pips could tell that Zak had been depressed and morose since he left their tree. "I've hurt you... And I know that you were just trying to help. But I pushed you away for your efforts."

"I know things have been weighing on your mind lately, love. I should have been more mindful of that." He lifted Zak's face to look at him. "I promise to make it up to you."

Zak smiled. "You know, that's the first time you called me that."

"What, 'love'?"

The blond nodded.

"Well, if you don't like it, I'll stop."

Zak shook his head and cuddled into Pips' arms. "Don't..."

Pips leaned down and kissed him. They shared the gentle kiss for a few moments, until it started to morph into a passionate wrestle of tongues and teeth that left them gasping for air. The next moment, the red head found himself straddling over the blond faerie, dominating and trying very hard to control himself. But Zak was making it a difficult task, as he was biting Pips' neck and groping him through his loincloth.

"...Zak..." He whispered, the name of his lover rolling off of his tongue in a throaty growl. "I won't be able to stop if you keep that up..."

"Go on..." Zak replied, trailing his tongue down his chest.

Pips chuckled, reveling in where the younger faeries' hands were wandering on his body. "You're really asking for it..."

With as much swagger as he could muster, Zak looked up, his blue eyes piercing green ones. "What are you going to do about it?"

Pips laughed again, his canines flashing in the sexy grin that Zak loved seeing. _Oh... the things he would do..._

~/~/~/~/~/

The next day, Zak woke up in their tree, stretching and yawning. He was ready for a new day in Ferngully. Last night had been pretty intense... It all started in the grotto a few minutes away from here, when he had teasingly aroused Pips. The teasing turned into heated seduction.

From there, the duo couldn't keep themselves off of each other. From the grotto and to their tree back in the small communal village, they had fornicated themselves into a pile of tired, sweaty, and sated faeries.

The memories gave Zak a small grin of appreciation. He rolled over in the bed, reaching out for Pips.

But Pips wasn't there...

Worry flashed through him. Where did Pips go? Did he wake up early? He usually woke up later than he did. It was unusual. Did he have something important to do today? Zak never knew the other faerie to have other business in Ferngully, other than occasionally help him and Crysta with growing things. And considering that Zak was here, he couldn't be helping them with plant production...

He got up from the mattress of leaves and left the small hollow in the tree and came upon Crysta's in a matter of seconds. His raven-haired friend was nowhere to be found either. Strange...

He flew to the other trees, looking around for someone he knew. Not even Batty Koda was hanging out on the usual branch that he perched from, which was situated on the same tree that Crysta's father lived in.

Where was everyone?

Did something happen? Was there a threat coming towards Ferngully? He doubted that. Someone would have roused him awake and taken him with them, especially Pips. He knew that his red headed boyfriend would have never left him behind in a crisis.

He flew away from the "houses" and searched the forest for some sign of another faerie, his heart pounding fast.

He flew over to the hollow, listening intently. Outside of it, it was completely quiet and serene. He passed in-between a couple of branches and looked around. It felt eerie without anyone around...

Just as he was about to back out and leave, he was bombarded with a shout of surprise from a few hundred mouths.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZAK!"

_A/N: I can totally envision Zak's expression in this chapter and I can't help but almost die from laughter! It would look something like this: O_O! Please R&R if you want more... :)_


	4. Back To Being Human

The Heart of A Human

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: Again, the disclaimers are as always. Now shut up and read! Or if you're not a fan of this pairing, yaoi, boy-on-boy romance, or sex, then suck it and leave! XD_

Zak thought he was about to have a heart attack when all the faeries of Ferngully popped out of their hiding places to wish him the biggest happy birthday cheer that he had ever had. His heart was going what felt like two-hundred miles a minute!

A certain red-head dispatched himself from the crowd and wrapped his arms around him.

"Happy birthday, Zak." Pips whispered into his ear, grinning.

"Pips? Did you have something to do with this?" The blond finally managed to gasp out, not able to believe that Pips even knew what a birthday was... or what it meant to him to have his lover arrange this surprise.

"I might have." The red headed faerie said coyly.

"But... How did you know?"

"Let's just say I have my ear to the ground, babe."

Crysta flew over to join the two. Zak looked over Pips' shoulder to see her flying over, suddenly remembering that she was the only faerie he told about human birthdays.

He smiled at Pips knowingly.

"...Crysta told you, didn't she?"

"Hey! I'm trying to be sentimental here!" Pips gave him a playful slap on his rear, causing him to jump two feet.

"Having a good birthday so far, Zak?" Crysta giggled, having witnessed their playfulness.

The blond faerie resettled himself next to Pips, putting an arm around his waist. "Uh... Yea..." He blushed, looking down at the forest floor several feet below in embarrassment.

She smiled, her kind green eyes glittering mischievously. "Well, there's much more to it than just a simple greeting." She flew back to the assembled crowd of faeries.

"You call that 'simple'?" Zak asked, incredulous.

"Okay guys, let's party!" Crysta yelled happily, accompanied by cheers.

Several faeries pulled out flutes and small harps and began playing a melodic tune while the rest went and gathered several big leaves weighing heavily with fruits, vegetables, and nuts. They assembled the food out on the forest floor.

Batty Koda, who had been at the back of the assembled group, spotted the food and dived down to a particularly juicy pear. He gorged on the fruit, his cheeks full and juice dripping down his chin. He looked like the happiest marsupial that anyone had ever seen. A few faeries laughed good-naturally as they watched him stuff his face.

The day was taken up by music, dancing, rejoicing, and the consumption of lots of good food. With Pips by his side, Zak was having the time of his life!

Pips loved seeing the smile on Zak's face as his lover enjoyed the sights and savored many flavors. But seeing him sit out while many danced to the music didn't make Pips satisfied. Zak should enjoy dancing!

The red head stood up from the ground and lowered his hand to the blond. Zak looked up at him, confused.

"Wanna dance?" Pips queried with a tempting smile and the quirk of an eyebrow.

"What? Oh, no. I... I don't dance." Zak declined, picking up a wooden goblet and taking a long drink of water to hide his shame.

Pips' wolfish grin only got bigger. Zak knew what that meant...

"Nonsense." He grabbed the blond's hand and pulled him up. Zak stumbled to his feet and fell against Pips. Pips only chuckled warmly, holding the other faerie in his arms, just before he pulled them into the air to dance.

The wind instruments and the harp played a soothing note. As Pips led Zak into a folk dance of the faeries, a tradition that had been upheld for countless centuries, the minutes blurred into hours. And Zak could only keep Pips in his line of vision as they danced.

~/~/~/~/~/~/

Zak sat down at last, thankful for the reprieve. He was sweating slightly and trying hard to catch his breath. He hadn't danced in a good couple of years, so the adrenaline and dexterity that was required for such a thing made him think that he might be a little out of shape.

Pips sat down next to him and smiled. The blond could only blush in embarrassment, feeling out of practice. The red head took his hand in his.

All the faeries settled down in a circle around Crysta, who proceeded to stand on the forest floor among them in a single ray of moonlight that peered from between the branches far above them. When everyone quieted down, she spoke.

"Today, many seasons ago, marks the birth of our friend Zak!"

All manners of cheers erupted among the crowd, whilst Batty Koda sang harmoniously between mouthfuls of berry, "Happy birthday to you..! Happy birthday to you..!"

After the cheers had subsided, Crysta continued, "And with every passing season, it reminds us all of what is important to us: family." At this point, Crysta looked directly at the couple sitting in the third row back in front of her line of vision. "Pips, if you would care to join me..."

Confused, Zak watched his lover leave his side, after squeezing his hand before letting go, to join the leader of the faeries. Pips gave a warm smile and winked at him mischievously before clearing his throat to speak.

"Zak, I know that you have had a wonderful life here in Ferngully among us, but I also know that you have had to leave behind the life you once had... So I'm offering you a chance to reclaim what you had sacrificed..."

The golden haired faerie's heart started to palpitate, uncertain of what was transpiring. Everyone in the audience looked at him with just as much confusion stamped on their faces. Even Batty stopped devouring his fruit to gape at him, his jaw hung wide on it's hinges as bits of fruit juice dripped from his teeth, giving him a comical and flabbergasted appearance.

Pips walked back over to Zak, parting through the assembled crowd as he reached down and grabbed Zak's hands in his, looking into his crystalline eyes all the while.

Not taking his gaze off of him, the red head continued loud enough for everyone to hear, although it was aimed for Zak. "Would you like to become human for seven cycles of the moon and walk among humans with me, Zak?...Would you like to visit your family one last time?"

The crowd gasped. It was one thing to have a human physically changed and living among them, but to have one of their own becoming human...?

"A-Are you serious?"

"I am."

Zak looked down at his feet. He had been wanting to see his uncle and cousins again, but this was unexpected! He never dreamed that he would have that chance again after becoming a faerie!

Emerald green eyes pierced him, awaiting his answer. He was truly stunned and didn't know what to say, or how to react, to such a sudden and surprising question.

Zak had to admit, he did wonder from time to time on how Pips would look as a human and how he'd get along in the human world. The thought made him smile.

"For seven days?"

"Seven." A tone of agreement.

The blond held the red head's hand in his and lifted it into the air amongst the crowd of waiting fae. "I accept!" He declared loudly enough for all to hear.

With raucous applause, the crowd went wild! Pips leaned over next to his partner and kissed his earlobe, whispering, "Happy birthday, love."

~/~/~/~/~/

_A/N: So here's where the fun begins... Fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be one heck of a ride!_


	5. See You In Seven Days!

The Heart of A Human

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: Again, the disclaimers are as always. Now shut up and read! Or if you're not a fan of this pairing, yaoi, boy-on-boy romance, or sex, then suck a freaking duck! And yes, you read right. A DUCK! QUACK!_

Crysta motioned for the two to step forward. "Is this what you really want, Zak? Do you wish to see your family again?"

Zak looked at Pips next to him, smiling softly. "Yes. But more than anything, I want Pips to be able to see my world."

"You do realize that it'll only be a visit."

"I understand." The blond nodded, looking back at the raven haired faerie.

"On the seventh day, you have to return to Ferngully for my magic to affect you and return you back into a faerie. However, if you so much as wish to be back in the human world, for any reason, all you have to do is not come back on the seventh day. Because Pips was born a faerie, his would be a temporary transformation. He would not be able to stay with you if you decided to go back to your world. His inner magic would not allow it. Pips would cease to exist if he were to not return to Ferngully on the seventh day."

Zak looked deep into Pips' eyes, seeing worry and sadness within the green depths. He gripped his hands tight, mouthing, _"I'm not going anywhere."_

"Do you wish to resume?" Crysta asked.

Both faeries nodded to her.

Closing her eyes, the lead faerie of Ferngully concentrated on the magic within herself. "What was done... Now undo... Return you to the form that's true..."

~/~/~/~/~/

The first thing that Zak noticed upon awakening was the feeling of lethargy as he sat up from the forest floor. The night had turned around to daylight.

_Have I slept through the celebration?_

He looked around the clearing, slightly sore and confused. No one was in sight...

Except for Pips, who laid next to him on his side, facing him. The red head seemed to have drifted off into sleep as well.

Zak shook him. "Hey, wake up."

Pips sat up, stretching his arms over his head and yawning.

"Is it morning already?"

The blond gave a startled gasp, his eyes transfixed on his lover.

"What?"

"Y-You don't have wings."

Pips reached around his own back, scrabbling at smooth skin, devoid of the silken fabric of wings. But then, he stopped as his green eyes grew large while looking at Zak. "Neither do you..."

Sure enough, Zak looked exactly like the human he used to be the day he first showed up in Ferngully, albeit the loincloth, long hair, tattoo, jewelry, and vest. Pips reached out towards Zak's ears, feeling the round shape of human ears whilst Zak did the same to Pips. After a quick inspection of each other, they broke out into wide grins and raised a chorus of jubilation.

"Crysta did it! I can't thank her enough for this!" Pips cried with overwhelming enthusiasm, jumping up from the ground. "I'm an actual human!"

Zak reached over to his right, noticing something he hadn't seen in three years. He smiled, remembering. His jeans and blue shirt sat in a neat, folded square, with his pocket knife, sneakers, walkman, and wallet sitting on top. The items were slightly dirty from being buried for three years. He stood up and pulled off his vest.

Pips looked back over his shoulder, cocking an eyebrow and smiling. "Well, Zak... I didn't think it'd be _that_ part of the day already..."

"Pips..." Zak blushed, embarrassed, but continuing to pull off his loincloth.

"What? No one's here." Pips set his hands on his hips, walking over, his devilish smile giving the blond goosebumps along his spine. Pips had Zak backed up against a tree at this point."It's not like anyone can see..." He hooked a finger into the lip of Zak's loose loincloth, pulling it free.

The seductive growl to his voice made the blond quiver. Unable to resist such a temptation, Zak leaned into the inevitable kiss and wove his hands into the fiery locks. Forgetting to pull the loincloth from his lover's body, Pips concentrated on the passionate, heated wrestling of tongues and pinned Zak to the tree.

"Actually, there are some of us that can still see all of this," said a tiny voice in Pips' ear.

He jumped, startled. Zak did likewise, having heard the voice too. "Fuck!" The blond cursed. "Crysta, is that you?" He inquired less harshly.

They looked at a tiny figure with black hair, a red outfit, and wings with green energy trailing from her like glitter. "Who else would it be?"

"I just thought we were kind of left on our own."

"You are. I just wanted to remind the both of you to come home after seven days. Otherwise you won't be able to be changed back into a faerie and all memories of us would be erased from your mind. But I would like that Pips especially make it back since he's not exactly supposed to be a human. I don't know what would happen if he were to wait longer than that. It could very well negate his magic and do something awful to him."

"Okay, Crysta. We'll be home." Zak smiled. Crysta hugged the side of his face. She zoomed to Pips and hugged him in the same fashion.

"I'll see you in seven days!"

As soon as Crysta zoomed off farther into the forest, Pips immediately crashed back into Zak and kissed him deeply, reaching eagerly for the green loincloth that was coming undone at Zak's hips.

_A/N: And so, without further ado, I shall be bringing more your way, and hopefully, the next chapter will be longer and more action-packed! Stay tuned, as always!_


	6. On The Way To Brisbane

The Heart of A Human

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: Again, the disclaimers are as always. Now shut up and read! Or if you're not a fan of this pairing, yaoi, boy-on-boy romance, or sex, then find a new hobby other than reading stuff you don't like!_

Moments after their heated love-making, Zak-now in his human attire-and Pips ventured away from the rainforest, having discovered that they had been transported to the edge of Ferngully so that they would have little difficulty in heading towards the city in which Zak had lived in. As they made that long, arduous walk towards the city of Brisbane, the blond spent a long while in instructing Pips in human culture and what to expect and how to respond to questions.

Zak came up with the story that they had met when Zak was still part of the lumber company and Pips had been part of the protest group that was trying to stop the deforestation. A disaster had left Pips to save Zak and the two became inseparable friends who had eventually moved in together as room mates in Sydney. Although Pips knew that this was a good of a story as any to explain Pips' sudden appearance, the red head inquired about where their relationship would be brought up in the explanation.

At this, the blond shrugged, embarrassed. His Uncle Craig didn't approve of homosexuals or their lifestyle. The man was a devote Protestant, from what Zak remembered.

In response, Pips asked him, "What does that mean?"

"My uncle not approving of homosexuals? Well, that means he thinks it's wrong for two males or two females to be together."

"But why?" Queried the curious red head. "It's still love, isn't it? Why would he disapprove of love?"

"To him, and other humans like him, it's not. A certain amount of humans, like Uncle Craig, only believe that a male and a female should fall in love. Two males or females falling in love is unnatural to them."

Pips thought on it, then suddenly proclaimed. "Then we should tell your uncle of us! This way, he would have to approve of us being together, since you're a part of his family!"

Zak shook his head. "It doesn't work like that, Pips. He wouldn't see me as family if we did that."

"...He would cast out his own family just because they were in love with someone that was of their same sex?"

"He would."

"Tell me again why you miss Uncle Craig."

Zak huffed impatiently, having a hard time with convincing Pips to hide their relationship. This was going to be one, interesting week...

~/~/~/~/~/

The two men had been walking down the long dirt road toward Brisbane in the middle of the plains for four hours. And from this distance, it didn't look as if they would reach city limits until well after noon. Pips had the hardest time of it, as he had been used to flying around since his first breath of life, and had constantly forgotten that he didn't have wings, to the result of jumping up in the air and falling back down. The red head had no idea how humans could manage to walk so much!

Just as the two sat down in the shade of a lone tree alongside the road, somewhat foot sore and tired, a rusty pick-up came beetling down the road in the direction of the city, kicking up dust with its back tires.

Zak jumped from his seat on the ground and waved his hand out at the pick-up. Pips, never having seen a vehicle before, kept to his seat in slight fear of the noise that the truck was making.

"What is that?" Pips asked Zak.

"That's called a truck. Many humans use these to get from one place to another in shorter time than walking."

"...Then why aren't we using a truck?"

"Because we don't have one."

"Will we be using that truck?"

"No. I'm seeing if this person can lend us a ride to Brisbane so we don't have to walk there."

_"Here. Let's just talk this way so that other humans won't listen in on us and learn that I'm from Ferngully." _Pips' voice echoed in the blond's thoughts.

"How do you do that?" Zak asked him, still keeping his eyes on the approaching vehicle.

_"You just think what you're going to say and then you project it to the faerie you're intending to speak to."_

Zak concentrated really hard for a second. _"Like this?"_

_"Exactly."_ Warm appreciation filled Zak's being from that comment.

_"But... how are we able to do this? Humans can't communicate this way. How are we able to, if we're human?"_

_"I asked Crysta to keep some of our powers intact when I was planning all of this."_

_"Looks like she did a good job!"_

_"Not really," _an internal sigh, _"she didn't keep my ability to disappear intact."_

Zak choked on a laugh.

The truck came to a slow stop when it pulled up beside them. The human in the driver's seat looked out at them from the open window, pulling his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to get a better look at them.

"You boys headed to Brisbane?" The guy was of stocky build, wearing an old t-shirt, faded jeans, and black boots, with a bristling brunette mustache and beard and a baseball cap that covered his bald head. He chewed on a tooth pick, which now resembled a little less than a sliver of wood.

"We are, sir. Would it be okay if you took us there?" Zak queried the man.

"Hop in the back."

Excited, Zak motioned for Pips to follow him and they soon found themselves sailing down the road, jumping slightly from all the bumps that the truck hit along the way.

_A/N: So not really action packed, like I wanted it to be, but it will get interesting from this point on, I promise. :) Stay tuned, as always!_


	7. Revisiting Memories

The Heart of A Human

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: Again, the disclaimers are as always. Now shut up and read! Or if you're not a fan of this pairing, yaoi, boy-on-boy romance, or sex, then find a new hobby other than reading stuff you don't like!_

Soon enough, both the red head and blond had jumped from the truck and at the outskirts of Brisbane, taking in the sights of buildings and cars in front of them. For Zak, it was a welcome home. For Pips, it was a strange world, an exciting adventure waiting to happen.

"So, I guess our first stop is to get you some human clothes." Zak said. "It wouldn't do well for you to walk around in that." He hinted at the loincloth around Pips' waist.

"What's wrong with what I wear?" Pips asked, looking down at the bright orange and yellow that surrounded his legs and nether regions.

"Humans don't wear what you wear, Pips," Zak whispered to him. "They wear what I'm wearing." He showed him the old, baggy jeans covered in grass stains and dirt that adorned his body, as well as the similarly ruined sky blue shirt and torn up sneakers.

Pips wrinkled his nose, making a face. "That looks a tad bit uncomfortable."

"Well... yes... but it's necessary." The blond conceded. "I'll be getting some new clothes myself, though."

"Why? What's wrong with what you've got there?"

"They're old and don't quite fit me in some areas anymore."

Pips smirked. "I see... And just exactly _where _does it not fit?"

Zak blushed. "Not what you're thinking, pervert. It's just that my jeans are a bit short now."

"...Jeans?" An inquiring glance from the red head reminded Zak that Pips had no idea the names of every day, ordinary things in the human world.

"Oh! Right!" Zak pinched a portion of his jeans in between his thumb and forefinger to illustrate his point. "This is a pair of jeans. This color and type of fabric is what makes these jeans. Anything else that covers the entirety of our legs that isn't this is called pants."

"I see..."

They walked down the street, passing groups of other humans in the process, most of which stared at Pips' lack of proper clothing. The red head seemed not to notice as he took in the sites around him while Zak quietly pointed out things around them. Finally, to Zak's relief, the two managed to find a clothing store and quickly walked inside.

The blond lead Pips over towards the men's side of the clothing store, picked up a random set of folded jeans from a shelf and unraveled it. He set the jeans against Pips' waist, measuring and seeing if they would fit him. The red head just looked at him curiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Seeing if these would fit you."

"...Do they?"

"They look a little bit long for you. Here," Zak set the jeans back on the shelf and started picking out other random sets from the shelf and handed them to Pips, "how about you go try these on in the dressing room." He pointed to a door about five feet away from them that had "Men's Dressing Room" painted on it at the top.

Poor Pips just looked confused. "What do I do in there?"

"You go into one of the smaller rooms in there, close the door, take off your loincloth and put one of these jeans on." He further explained how to put one on and how to see if they fit.

As soon as Pips was making his way to the dressing room, the manager of the store walked by. "Can I help you today?" He was a man in his late forties, with gray eyes and dark hair that was turning into a prominent widow's peak, that dressed in a crisp suit. His name badge, reading Mr. Delorian, gleamed from his waistcoat.

"Actually yes." Pips answered. "Could you help me get into these?" He held out the pile of jeans in front of him.

The manager raised an eyebrow at him as Zak hid his face behind a hand. The manager looked over at Zak, bewildered by the red head's request.

"He's just kidding, Mr. Delorian." The blond plastered on a smile.

~/~/~/~/~/

After many minutes deciding on a few choice selections in the clothing store-and after some trouble removing a pair of pants that Pips' managed to get stuck into-Zak made Pips walk out of the dressing room for the final time.

Zak could honestly say that Pips looked just like any human on the street in Brisbane; the sight of the red head took his breath away!

Pips was dressed in black jeans that comfortably hugged his hips while being slack in the legs; fraying holes artfully decorating the knees. He wore a dark green wife-beater that showed off his lightly sculpted torso with a black vest buttoned over it. His brilliant green eyes hid behind a pair of dark sunglasses. On his feet, he clenched and unclenched his toes uncomfortably in a pair of socks inside white and gray tennis shoes.

"_Ugh! Do I have to wear these?"_ Pips complained telepathically.

"_Yea." _Zak gave him a pointed stare, although it was mainly a heated look of pure craving.

"_But..." _A sigh. _"They make my feet sweat!"_

"_Deal with it, Pips. You wanted to come with me? This is what you have to do."_

All the faerie wanted to do was to throw off the restricting shells on his feet! He knew they weren't comfortable the first time he laid eyes on Zak's shoes the first day they ever met!

Grumbling internally, Pips leaned against a wall as Zak walked into the dressing room next with an armful of garments.

A few minutes later, Zak walked out in a casual red and black button-down short-sleeve that remained unbuttoned, khaki shorts held up by a leather belt, and black sneakers. Pips forgot all about his grumblings of shoes. Despite the clothing covering up Zak's best features, he was absolutely mesmerizing in that outfit.

"_Hey... Do you think we could-"_

"_-No."_

After paying for their clothes at the check out counter, Pips stowed away his loincloth in a plastic bag that Zak requested from the sales clerk and the twosome made their way down the busy street. Although Pips was no longer dressed in his loincloth, he kept spotting people-mainly females-staring at him with smiles upon their lips.

"_Do all human females stare at males like this?"_

"_Sometimes. If they happen to find the male they're looking at to be really attractive. Why? Are some of them staring at you?"_

"_It feels like ALL of them are staring at me like this."_

Zak smirked, quirking an eyebrow at Pips in a suggestive manner. _"Well, you are really attractive..."_

"_Huh. Is this how human females attract a mate? Or initiate mating procedures?"_

The blond almost snorted aloud. _"No. They just think you're really good looking. We don't have 'mating procedures'."_

"_Well, Batty did say that humans are mammals, just like he is. And bats have mating procedures. So why shouldn't humans?"_

"_'Cause humans just don't. I just don't know how else to explain it. Humans just mate whenever they want, with whoever they want, among themselves. There aren't any steps to it. They mate for a huge number of reasons."_

"_Oh. I see."_ This was an interesting perspective to Pips.

"_Do faeries initiate mating procedures?" _Zak teased.

"_No." _Pips laughed. _"That would just be weird."_

Zak just shook his head. Just when he thought living as a faerie for a couple of years would have given him inherent insight, he always learned something new. Then again, he expected that kind of answer anyway.

"Okay," the blond announced aloud, "we're gonna go over to my apartment-my home-for a bit before we head over to my uncle's. I just have to get a few things."

They were only a block away from his apartment from what he could remember. Being gone for so long, he didn't know what he expected to find there, if there was anything left to come back to.

Ten minutes later, they turned a corner, crossed a street, and faced an unremarkable brownstone with cracked steps leading to the front door of the building. They walked inside.

Zak took in their surroundings, remembering his many times walking through this very same hallway time and time again. The memories brought back when he first got an apartment on his own, how proud he was of himself, and how he was relieved that he wouldn't have to rely off his uncle again. He had only been seventeen, fresh out of high school. The brown carpet was as weather-worn as ever, and the ugly cream walls boasted several aged paintings that no one cared to look at from dusty picture frames. Every few feet, the walls were pierced by cream doors with brass numbers and knobs identifying them as separate apartments. A door to a stairwell and an elevator led to the upper floors. Zak never needed to go through that door.

He turned left, Pips following behind him.

Zak came face to face with apartment A-4. The door was covered in official documents, most of which consisted of eviction notices and letters asking for monthly rent. Some of the pages were a crusty yellow, depicting just how long the pages endured. Pulling out a brass key from his old wallet, Zak lined it with the lock.

He frowned.

"What's wrong?" Pips asked him, not knowing what was going on.

"I can't get in."

"Why?"

Zak sighed. "The owner must have changed the locks." He put the key in his pocket, disheartened.

"Why would he do that?" Pips asked, confused.

"It's been a long time since I was here last."

They left the building without further discussion.

~/~/~/~/

_A/N: So, here we have seen a bit of some inner turmoil in Zak. Kind of a disheartening ending to a chapter. Next chapter, I will be introducing what we've all been waiting for-Zak's family! Stay tuned and R&R like always!_


	8. Little White Lies

The Heart of A Human

Paired Couple: Zak YoungXPips "Marsden"/SLASH!/Lemon

_A/N: Again, the disclaimers are as always._

The twosome journeyed throughout Brisbane for almost four hours since they had left Zak's old apartment behind. Pips didn't know what to think of Zak's silence. He seemed closed off and so deep in thought that he was afraid that Zak would never speak again. The uncomfortable absence of interaction made Pips overly worried for the blond.

He fiddled with the pockets of his jeans, unable to come up with anything to say.

Finally, the red head noticed that Zak had stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at him. Zak's sky blue eyes roamed a scene beyond Pips. Pips looked back in front of him.

Brass numbers flashed 2-6-7-8-2 dully in the sunlight against the red brick of the small, one-story house. Yellowing grass and dry patches of earth randomly dotted along the front yard in neglect. A beat-up, dark red van sat in the driveway on cinder blocks, the tires long missing from the rusting metal wheels. Zak couldn't help but smile faintly. When will that uncle of his ever get the van fixed up?

He grabbed a hold of Pips' hand for a moment, gathering strength from that one meaningful contact. Pips grinned at him, thankful that Zak's inward seclusion hadn't lasted that long. He let go as they approached the cracked driveway and the path leading up to the front door.

Zak opened the screen door and rapped his knuckles firmly against the frame, and began to wait.

He didn't know what to expect next. Would his uncle severely reprimand him for not contacting him in the last three years? Or would he not even notice the time that had passed? Their last encounter hadn't been on the best of terms, but neither was it entirely unpleasant. Zak just couldn't be sure.

With the turn of the brass knob from the inside, the door swung open to reveal an older man that looked to be in his late forties, with short, graying hair and mustache that frowned over his thin lips. He was lean in stature, not actively fit, but not out of shape either, at an average height of five feet and seven inches tall, weighing at about a hundred and sixty-six pounds. The man shared Zak's sky blue eyes, with heavy wrinkles folding his skin at the corners. He had a crooked nose that leaned more to the right than it should have by almost an entire inch, being the testament of a bar fight he had instigated in his youth in Nerang. His complexion was that of hardened, dark leather and his callused hands told of one that worked in construction for many years. Adorned upon him was a pair of weather worn jeans, his chest and feet bare.

The man's eyes widened in surprise. "Zak?"

"Hey, Uncle Craig." The blond said sheepishly. "Long time, no see."

"You're damn right, it's been a long time!" Craig said with a barking laugh. "Come on in, my boy! You must be sweltering in this heat. It's gone up by five degrees at least, within the past hour or so."

Zak and Pips followed Craig inside the house, feeling a wafting breeze coming from the ceiling fans that spun in slow circles. The floor was bamboo wood tile and was adorned with braided green rugs at appropriate intervals throughout the house. The furniture was of simple design and the color of sky blue with light, sandy brown wood trim.

Zak followed his uncle into the family room, while Pips followed behind them as he looked around the house with wonder. He wanted to ask so many questions about everything he saw.

"_Ummm… __Zak? What is this?"_ He mentally indicated to the giant screen television that sat along one wall in the family room.

"_I'll tell you what everything is later. Not now, though."_

"Who's your friend?" Craig asked, indicating Pips.

"Oh, sorry." Zak waved Pips over to sit next to him. The red head was still looking around the house with wide eyed interest. "This is Pips. Pips, this is my uncle, Craig Young."

"Nice to meet you, Craig." Pips held out his whole arm stiffly, hand outstretched, like he had done so many times before because of his improper knowledge in human customs.

Craig looked oddly at the stiff hand that Pips offered. He took it anyway, shaking his hand. "Does your friend have a last name?"

"L-Last name?" The blond blinked.

"_What's a last na__me?" _Pips questioned him telepathically.

"His last name… it's Beckett. Pips Beckett."

"Unusual name." He mused. Craig turned to the red head just then. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Brian Beckett, would you?"

Pips, thoroughly confused, looked questioningly at Zak as to whether he should say yes or no. But Zak couldn't help him with this one, not without gaining a lot of suspicion.

"I don't believe so." Pips answered, leaning back against the couch cushions, instinctively reaching behind himself to adjust his wings, which he didn't have anymore. The feeling of being wingless would always be an alien sensation.

"Ah well. Brian Beckett is a real-estate genius and very famous around this part of Australia. Where do you come from Pips?"

"I come from…"

"_Alice Springs." _Zak mentally whispered.

"Alice Springs."

"Nice place that is."

"Yea it is. But I've been living in Sydney for a while with Zak here."

"Oh! So you guys are room mates then?"

Zak picked up the conversation there, sure that Pips wouldn't understand the term "room mate".

"Yea, we met while I was working with the deforestation crew three years ago. He was part of the crowd that was protesting the deforestation. I was working as usual, when the leveler had cut down a tree that almost killed me. Pips came along just in time and pushed me out of the way. From then on, we became friends. I listened to his reasons on why deforestation is bad for the natural environment and he convinced me to quit. He got me to work alongside him in protecting reservations and doing wild animal rescue."

Zak knew it was a long stretch of the truth-a _very_ long stretch-but it was pretty similar to what he was really doing with his life. And to a human that didn't know the existence of faeries, it made much more sense this way.

"That sounds respectable." The man replied, taking a sip of iced tea from a tumbler that he picked up from the coffee table in between the three of them. "So what took you so long to get a hold of me, Zak? Three years go by and you don't even give me a call? I know you must be busy with this whole reservation thing, but you can't be _that _busy."

Zak sweated a little. How was he supposed to explain his lack in communication, even if he could explain his disappearance? He couldn't reveal that he had been living with faeries all this time-and that faeries had never heard of a telephone before-not to mention that one was actually inside the house at this very moment, masquerading as a human. Never mind the fact that he himself had become a faerie for three years. This was harder than he thought.

"I've… uh… just been working very hard. I managed to pick up a job overseas recently though."

"What do you mean? You had a job here, with the deforestation crew, and then you transferred jobs and started doing reservation and wild life work. Now you're telling me that you're going overseas?" His uncle narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Why are you leaving Australia? There's plenty of work to pick up here."

Zak swallowed hard. At least his uncle was convinced that he had been working all this time. Now it all depended on him being able to convince him of this new lie.

"We're headed to America, Uncle." He stated simply, indicating that Pips was going with him. "There's some really good work there for wild life preservers."

His uncle stood up from his seat, agitated. "Okay! I can understand you wanted to get out of the logging industry; it's a dangerous job. Getting into wild life work is rather respectable, although sometimes more dangerous than logging. But at least you can feel good about saving animals. But going overseas for a job that you already have here? I don't understand that one!"

"It's something I want to do!" Zak stood up, scared that the older man would see through the deception. "I'd be getting paid better than I am here. Pips was going to head out there before he offered me to come along with him. I've become passionate about saving life! It's more rewarding!"

Uncle Craig was silent for many moments before he sat back down, his jaw resting in the palm of one hand, fingers tapping methodically against his cheek. Pips watched as both nephew and uncle stood and sat, respectively, thinking hard. There was nothing he could say-he didn't know enough about what was going on to put in his opinion.

"What happened to you, Zakkary?" The gray haired human asked, sounding tired and older beyond his years. "You go off the grid for three years, after being reported missing by your foremen, Tony and Ralph, for two weeks. I stopped by your apartment several times and your landlord was pretty irate at any mention of you. You just up and left one day and no one had heard from you in all that time; all your stuff was still there. Where have you been?"

His tongue seemed unable to form words from the fear that he was experiencing. "I told you. I moved to Sydney with Pips after the near fatal accident with that stupid leveler that Tony and Ralph were supposed to be controlling."

"Why didn't you come back and tell me what happened? Why didn't you tell anyone what happened?"

"I felt that a desperate change is what I needed, even if it was to just get up and leave without warning."

~/~/~/~/~/

_A/N: So now we're entering into a discussion between Zak and his uncle. A clearly uncomfortable one, for obvious reasons… What will happen next? R&R as always!_


End file.
